Doctor REACTS to Heartstopper #2 (Is This Body Dysmorphia?)

[@lowkeyproductions6681]

So in the comics that last scene was meant to be with Nick’s mum, but due to scheduling conflicts Olivia Coleman wasn’t able to return for this season so they wrote around her. It’s sad because that scene was so beautiful in the comics and would have been a tearjerker for sure if Olivia Coleman was there. At the same time, I think the choice to make Diane a psychiatrist was a smart one because it helps viewers understand why Nick goes to her specifically (even though as viewers we’re given very little time to be know her before this scene happens). The scene where he first asks her about eating disorders without giving any context was a new one for the show, and I think it’s very realistic how they show how people, especially teenagers, will test the waters on that kind of conversation first.

[@lunatic5162]

I`m 30. Queer with ED in homophobic country. I didn`t have friends like that and Nick in my live. So I don`t understand when people say that show is cringe and cheesy. It`s literally healed my inner young self. I`m gonna cherish that series until I d`e.

[@blahblahblahSPLASH]

It’s been healing for me, too. 🫂

[@buddytheoc]

same here, and I come from a relatively lgbt-friendly country. I am so happy for every person having a healing experience due to this show.

[@deoradh]

It can be both. If nothing else, the cheesiness lightens the mood enough to give us respite from the darker plot lines. And what you’ve described is pretty common among the fans, especially those of us of middle age or older. A fair number report using it as pretext for coming out, regardless of age.

[@brianmatthews1736]

The two greatest statements that Alice gave Aunt Diane to say is "Love Can't cure a mental illness." I literally had to tell my Brother this about his significant other... "Also knowing that sometimes a person needs more support than one person can give" These 2 statements are so important for loved ones of someone with a mental illness to know, and to understand fully.

[@wavy6617]

I love that they show Charlie really struggling with his words when he tries to talk about what he's going through. We do a lot of telling people to reach out when they're struggling, but don't always acknowledge how incredibly difficult that is when you're inside the storm. I like that they show how hard that really is and how it takes someone providing him opportunities and repeatedly offering support for Charlie to be able to grab the lifeline.

[@VioletEmerald]

Wow such a good point and phrased so well you almost make new want to cry because you capture the truth so well.

[@eyeseajujubee]

I cried so much during this season, but “I think you were right” really broke me as someone who’s in recovery and hid my ED for so long. This show is so caring and heartfelt in realistically portraying complex issues.

[@AliceSylph]

I think what's nice about this representation is it's not clinical. When we see black cloud come over Charlie around food, that's more accurate to what it's like than a clear calculated thought pattern of "I can't eat because". First and foremost it's a feeling, not a thought. A massive step in recovery is being able to hear and recognise the thought behind the emotion, only then can we begin to fight against it. But it takes a long journey to even begin to hear the thoughts behind the disorder

[@Tattersayl]

I'm struggling so immensely with AN... I've been put onto an inpatient wait list for treatment and am now facing this but the prospect is terrifying. I can relate so much to Charlie in so many ways. These episodes have been not only informative but have also provided some catharsis and these small boosts to wanting to get better and beat this. I look forward to your reacts for sure! All the best.

[@efoxkitsune9493]

The conversation Nick had with his aunt on the beach was so healing to me. It was what I wish someone had told me, with such gentleness and love, when I was 16 and taking on the responsibility for my friends' mental health and safety (at least 2 of my friends at the time were suicidal...). This show does so well. ❤

[@VioletEmerald]

Gosh same but when i was 29 i needed this after i already lost two people close to me to suicide then found myself dating someone chronically suicidal with undiagnosed "quiet BPD" and i mean this episode and how Nick feels throughout it is just. This hits close to home in representing the pain of wanting to help and not knowing what to do or how to and just how difficult it really is for the loved one too. It was also not shying away from centering Charlie in a way that was so important so it's like I'm back there again 110% rooting for Nick to be able to do for Charlie what i tried so hard to do for my partner, driving them to the emergency room to check them in inpatient twice in 4 months and talking them down on a phone call while i was traveling on a pre-planned before we started dating trip out of town without them and all that.

[@jazzlovr6515]

I adore your Heartstopper content, and *every* UK reactor has said “Where’s the gravy?” 😁

[@RomySews]

Did they also say ‘why the heck are there tomatoes on a roast dinner?’ Because that was my first thought’ 😂

[@BrendaAnderson]

@@RomySews yes, I saw one yesterday who said that exact thing!

[@danieloneal7137]

Maybe it has something to do with Charlie’s dad being of Spanish descent? 🤔

[@MP-1218]

As an American I said where’s the roast 😭

[@CosmicAlliance03]

I think this show is such great representation of struggling with an eating disorder and not just how it affects the individual, but the people around them. Looking forward to your future reactions!

[@buddytheoc]

Hi Dr. Elliott, I would love to hear your thoughts on the bit of conversation between Charlie and his mother when she interrupts the phone call with Nick at the end of the episode. His "I am not feeling well" with her reaction of "I'll get you some paracetamol" really struck me personally, as I remember having similar attempts with my mother, trying to convey my bad emotional state, and her not being able to catch up on it in those moments. I would also love to hear from you what you think about his mother's personality in general, why she communicates the way she does (in the beginning of the season, that is.) Thank you for your videos! I love your reactions of the show, and I am so happy you are doing an episode-to-episode reaction for season 3, as it holds so much to unravel :) Also, do you have a patreon or something where you provide longer versions of your reactions?

[@katyy102]

This show is healing so many of us that didn't have this kind of support and understanding at the time❤️

[@lux_24601]

I appreciate how it portrays an eating disorder that didn't manifest from a desire to look a certain way since that is the main portrayal I've seen on screen. I find it to be more realistic that his disorder comes from a desire to feel a sense of control since when there have been times in his life he didn't have control there were dire consequences. It also shows the deep emotional reason why eating disorders are so hard to treat.

[@OLDATA]

this!!!! i relate to him so much because while my eating disorder does involve my body it is much more focused on the control aspect ESPECIALLY as someone with ocd like charlie. i love the portrayal of his ed and the way they went about writing it because its such good representation and education to those who don't understand and also so relieving for someone like me to see who is struggling and has struggled with very very similar issues

[@Harrison_J_T]

That's such a good point about malnutrition affecting emotionak regulation, I remember my parents being asked if they had noticed a change in my emotional state I remember doctors when I was in hospital with what would be diagnosed asCrohn's Disease (and I was severely malnourished and it did affect my emotions)

[@JacquiChesterton]

The animations that depict Charlie's ED are spot on in my opinion. I haven't dealt with anorexia but this is what BED feels like for me. Like constant white noise or a record that's keeps jumping, and like I have tunnel vision. Even now, when I'd say it's pretty well managed, it is always running in the background. This season impressed me so much and I think it's so important for so many to have this as an accessible resource.

[@mangantasy289]

11:13 damn good portrayal of the struggle to sit with a plate full of food. And the whole topic of Anorexia nervosa. I'm 37 f and got anorexic at age 15. This episode hits rught into the feels. An just this night a had yet another nightmare around food. Precisely sitting in a family situation and be have others put greasy meat topped with cheese and heavy potato salad on my plate and wait for me to eat it. I woke up all trembling and stressed out from it. Just awful. Still gives me the absolute shivers only thinking back. I still struggle with ED, although it has changed a lot over time. The first years had likely most of fights from family members. Especially my late grandfather could be uttrly cruel. did not get much if any understanding or compassion, just blame and abuse (?). Being complete ripped of any rights for "misbehaving" like that. Got forced into bad psych wards and a psychosomatic clinic. Where I was forced to gain so much weight in so little time. That's what ultimately taught me how to pugre when I finally came out. Also I know both pesrpectives. Having an ED (and other mental health issues) and having a close one, my mother, with ED and mental health issues (including BPD). About the comorbiditiy, it's huge for me. I had issues already as child, likely at least depressive states looking back. The ED came later. I struggle much more with depression, anxiety, cPTSD, AVPD, but since the underweight is the most visible, it's what even professionals tend to focus on first/most. Sorry for the maybe chaotic comment. I just can relate so painfully well to Charlie. Exept for the network he has. I was really more alone in that, my sister for example being the opposite and being abusive, condamming, blaming instead of supportive and empathetic. My family system has allways been problematic, and I did not have close friends or much of a social life. Thank you so much Dr. Elliot for you insightful reactions. Edit: forgot to mention THAT charity website. I know it well, have spend much time reading what it has to offer. And was very glad for its existance.

[@alicenightray5901]

I really like that we see clearly both sides to Charlie's struggles - not only his, but his loved ones, his family. We see those who are missing it, those who see something is wrong but are not given the courage or trust to hear what is happening (that can often lead to hurt as well), those who know but feel powerless. It impacts not only the body of the person, but also their mind to the point it changes their behaviour towards others and that can be hard to understand for the people around him. They feel left out or angry because he's more snappy and he might not even be very aware or have the energy to change that. I love this show so much

[@VioletEmerald]

Gosh so true. Such thoughtfulness in what you're saying here.

[@jacquie2004]

As someone who was in Charlie's shoes 30+ years ago, and in Nick's more recently as a mum, the bit that broke be was watching Charlie tear his sandwich into tiny pieces, his "rules". We seek control at that age, because we feel like we have none. Our bodies, what we put into them, what we do to them, how we look at them can give us the pretence of having that control, but the truth is that when you start to think that way, you've already lost control to the impulse to punish ourselves for crimes we haven't committed.

[@aussie_chick]

I stumbled across your reaction video this morning. I’m an old, straight chick, who absolutely adores Heartstopper. It is an amazing watch. Thank you for your dialogue regarding, not just Charlie’s ongoing issues, but those issues that may touch all of us, in different degrees, in different circumstances. Thank you for not dumbing anything down, but rather, introducing a conversation, and much needed insight. Love and support are the key. I’m now going to watch your reactions to all things Heartstopper, from Season 1. Cheers!

[@naomiavery1906]

I love your reaction videos and watching this one was particularly fascinating as I'd wondered how accurate you felt the portrayal of aunt Dianne's advice was. Season 3 is a hard watch but well worth it, think I need to watch it all again

[@naurea81]

I have struggled with ED my entire life. Mine is a lot like Charlie’s. When everything else in my life feels completely out of control, food is the one thing, at least in my head, that I can control. I am in therapy, but it is something that is always with me. Some days I am perfectly fine, others I’m not. At the end of S2 Charlie says, “I don’t want you to think I am some fragile, broken mess, that you need to fix me. I don’t want to be a burden.” I can’t tell you how many times I have uttered those exact words to my husband. This show has helped me heal so much. I’m still have bad days, but because of HS, I know that there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

[@tommiller3017]

Robin Williams said that one of the problems with people with mental illness is all the energy spent trying to appear "normal." Fears about what people will think not only about you but your family. Also, speaking as an adult, kids need to know that most parents, even when the they and the child are often at odds, will put all that aside to deal with a child in crisis. Maybe more parents need to tell their children that.

[@dkatzism]

I swear Dr Elliott gets more handsome in each video. It's clear how much Heartstopper means to him, too, like it does to us all. It's been such a life-changer of a show for so many queer people worldwide... and I wish I'd had it, or something like it, when I was in high school.

[@deoradh]

A good personality can be quite attractive. I have the same problem with male nurses and surgical assistants. It’s like they recruit the cute ones to put us at ease when rolling us into the OR. I don’t mind, and I know they’ll ignore anything I say under anesthesia. :)

[@mariotorrealba4810]

I'm soooo looking forward to seeing your reactions to episodes 3 and 4!

[@jpwphoenix1701]

While I’ve not got an eating disorder, I am still Autistic and have gone through some major Depression and Anxiety. Everything from Charlie admitting he has a problem to the end of the episode felt very real and raw to me, bringing on the tears. I even subconsciously started gripping/pinching my arm the same way Charlie did. Kit, Joe, Jenny and even Hayley did such an amazing job in this episode.😭💔

[@jbach1738]

This season was pretty hard to watch. I started "dieting" when I was 8 years old. I went through a lot trying to deal with it. I'm now 44 years old and I still have strong urges to restrict. Still have a lot of rules about food. Still look in the mirror or poke at parts of my body feeling absolute disgust. I've never received any kind of professional help for it or anything, it's just never been bad enough to need it. Really sucks to live with it though.

[@ChronoBio]

You deserve help if you want it, even if that help is finding a group of people who “get it” to feel solidarity.

[@mindya5288]

You don't have to 'earn' help, you won't be judged for not being 'bad' enough to need help. If you want some help, please seek it. Imagine the advice you'd give a loved one in similar circumstances... ❤

[@quaquaval]

I started watching this show because I liked Joe Locke in Agatha All Along. I wasn’t expecting this show to be incredibly triggering for me because it confronted me with what I’ve been denying about myself for so long. The closest I got to admitting I had a problem was on a trip in college when some colleagues noticed I hadn’t eaten. Naturally, I made an excuse as to why. That was when I was 18. I was distracted by work and school, so I never really confronted myself about it and the problem lingered while I finished my schooling. After I graduated, I no longer had that distraction from my mental problems. I now was facing the reality of my very uncertain future post-graduation and the problem worsened. These two years after graduation has been me eating 500 or less calories a day and binge eating when the malnutrition got too much. I’m 25 now and my family, who I’m not even particularly close to, started noticing how little I was eating too just a few weeks ago. Watching Charlie have his lightbulb moment with Nick on the phone broke me. Not just because it was heartbreaking to see, but because it was a lightbulb moment for me too. I was expecting to relate most to the coming out and queer aspects of the show, but I wasn’t expecting to come out finally admitting to myself that I’ve had issues regarding self harm and disordered eating. I may not be in a place right now to seek help professionally but talking with others online through the mask of anonymity has honestly helped a lot. I’m sure seeking help with a professional would help a lot more, but for now this will have to do. :) Also, sorry for the long comment! I’m a journalist and storytelling is my passion, so I get a bit carried away when I get started writing, especially when I can be a bit more personal and creative. ❤

[@VioletEmerald]

I'm so glad this show helped you realize what you needed to. This is so hard but you're still so young. 25 is just the beginning of a healing journey. But don't discount the chance that there is affordable professional help out there if you can figure out where to look. Don't give up on what you need thinking it's impossible in your circumstance.

[@quaquaval]

@ Thank you for the kind words 💜 Sometimes it does feel like it’s too late for me because 25 feels old but realistically i know im still so young with so much life ahead of me. I just gotta remind myself of that whenever my mind starts spiraling. i’m sure i can find some affordable options, but it’s more of a bandwidth issue for me. There’s just so much life going on that I don’t realistically have the time for it. Whenever life does slow down for me, it’ll be a priority for me :)

[@alocadawho5354]

It's so interesting how I realized I was bi because I had similar experiences like Nick did, and that girl I liked also suffered from an eating disorder that I absolutely felt helpless with. Thank god I also had a relative that did some basic psychoeducation with me, but I never really got an advice what I can actually do, just 'you can't do anything about the illness itself so don't try to get involved in that'. Today I'm a psychologist myself and am so grateful that Hearstopper doesn't only work so hard for good queer representation but also for mental illness.

[@NeonTiff]

Thank you for this video! I am currently offering support to one of my partners with her eating disorder. It is hard, but feels great offering support & letting her know I’m here for her. Eating disorders & dehydration are very common among trans people, especially in America with our extremely transphobic bathroom laws in many states. Restricting eating & drinking water so you don’t have to go in public restrooms, but hurting your body in the long term. So much change needs to happen to make places more accepting for trans people in America.

[@themeparklunatic1996]

I’m 34 and I hid my ED from the time my mom passed in 1996 when I was 6 years old to about 2010 when I turned 20 it didn’t start bad but by time I hit 12-13 I slowly got worse when I had my depression really bad when I was 16 got put in a hospital for a week hid it then by eating but as soon as I got out I full blown got obsessed with not eating and working out constantly my thought process was if I’m skinny and cute maybe people would like me more but in reality I came out of that hospital more hateful with how I was treated at my previous school once I turned 18 I started experiencing chest problems probably due to my heart like I just couldn’t breathe and I still get it every now and then but very rarely now also ended up with bad blood circulation and my arms will just go numb for no reason if I push my body too much with walking or running or any type of exercise that’s still a problem today even if I work out and do it the right way with eating so now I just don’t work out and my body has maintained a reasonable weight that I’m happy with

[@davidcwitkin6729]

I love this show. I talk about it with everyone I have any sort of relationship with. Especially my sister, whom I alerted my parents that she was suffering from bulimia and was life-threateningly low weight. I will never regret that decision. I also talk about this show with my nephews, one of whom is trans. This show is amazing.

[@juwen7908]

Love your thoughtful reactions and would really appreciate to see you reacting to the OG SKAM season 3 and also the german version of this called Druck, because of the twist they've done to the OG. (Please guys, don't spoil anything!!) Greetings from Berlin 🥰

[@plankton2878]

i love these videos so much please keep doing them!!

[@bernieadin1567]

Excellent review. I really enjoy your vlogs because you give a professionals POV and that is informative.

[@rubysmolen5155]

episode 2 it's not just Charlie isolating himself he's becoming depressed- the only person who knows whats going on is not there and he is not ready to talk about it with his sister or his friends yet and his home is not a safe place at the moment- and because of all that his relationship with nick has started to teeter into codependency. As someone who has depression the way they depicted Charlie slowly becoming depressed and isolating himself because of that and all the other things that are going on was depicted very accurately! I always find things each season watching this show that I can relate to and as a queer person with mental health disorders as well as few other storylines - this season hit way to close to home- they did an amazing job!

[@Fairplayer43]

Elliott? I love you❤ Thanks for the video!

[@elliyo4286]

I like cheesy and soft and cute and wholesome queer love. We get so much drama and unhappy endings with queer characters, but we all need some cute and happy stories. :)

[@Emma-LynnDavis]

Joe is such a good actor 😭❤

[@mandarinablue38]

He did so good this season 🥹

[@sudeshsingh4067]

Love your videos. Will you be doing a reaction to Inside Out 2?

[@LilithSterling]

I can relate to moments with many of the characters in this show, but I especially identify with Nick in this episode. When I was in high school I had a girlfriend who was going through some very serious things, and at the time, I was the only one she confided in or reached out to for help. Of course I cared so much about her and I wanted to help, but I was 16 too, I wasn’t equipped to handle all of that, and it really took a toll on my mental health. I couldn’t talk to her about it because I didn’t want her to feel like her struggles were a burden to me, but I also didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone else about it because what she was going through was so personal and it wasn’t my place to share that. So yeah, I really really feel for Nick’s struggles this season, but especially this episode.

[@sunflowersprinkles5787]

I’m starting to think I have disordered eating and this part hit hard, I HATE eating in front of people 11:33

[@TheoSwinford]

Love your videos so much!!!

[@16poetisa]

"It's cringe, it's cheesy" it's gonna break out hearts

[@flawlessduck5244]

You should react to A Beautiful Mind or The Fisher King, both touches on schizophrenia and are very good.

[@rubygreene8499]

I’m really glad they didn’t show any visual evidence of his self harm, really respect that and appreciate it as someone who was a teenager when “that” scene of 13 reasons why was aired and the irresponsible way that Netflix handled the result

[@nataliatheweirdo]

I skipped that scene where i thought charloe sh’ed bc its a trigger of mine but im glad they didnt make it very drastic

[@AnxietyRat]

​@@nataliatheweirdo they just vaguely mentioned him relapsing they don't show anything... It's a very very blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment a lot of reacters here on KZbin didn't even realize that's what the show was saying, to be honest 🤷‍♀️

[@paesitopaez4302]

I liked the depiction of the ED but for the level of severity the show was suggesting, I felt like there were not enough depictions of the health effects of AN. Malnutrition really wreaks havoc on everything; your skin ages rapidly, your hair becomes thinner (and can even fall off in bits), you get terrible muscle and bone aches, you become way more irritable and spacey than what they showed Charlie being here (the scenes where he was depicted as being difficult were brushed over rather quickly when they can be a key aspect of the ED, specially when it's severe). I actually think that Skins did a better job at showing the ED person's lived in experience. Now, having said all that, for a show trying to model how to act as a loved one of someone with an ED, I thought the show did a great job :)

[@camero3266]

Love the video

[@doryinsanime6862]

I love your reaction my favorite very important for me personally,happy.

[@JoseJuliodeDompabloMazo]

Thank you for your reactions and for all the valuable information you provide about the characters. There is a queer show called young royals and I would love to hear your opinion about the characters dealing with the anxiety and pressure that the main character is under for belonging to the Royal House of Sweden. Greetings from 🇪🇸

[@TheIrish978]

I love your videos would you reaction to station 19 it got a good amount of mental health for you to reaction to

[@kenttucson2830]

Do you watch first and then go back and tape you watching it?

[@howtoaca7504]

💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@berf9445]

This one is really triggering/hard to watch. My anxiety is really high watching it. My stomach feels sick.. It's TV, but it feels really fast, how Charlies ED ramps up as a concern of everyones. It took like over a year for people to first notice mine when I was a teen. But it's TV. I think the anxiety of people wanting to talk to you about it, they got that really well. I hate when people want to talk to me about it. I get so much anxiety, I just want to find a way out of the conversation. I didn't know I was trans the first two times I had my ED, but at the same time, I was so happy when my body became less female. So, I think it was there. Now that I do. I'm really happy that certain aspects are going away. My psychiatrist asked about it. He mentioned I could just go on T. It's not the same. I want to erase my chest and hips and this does that...

[@berf9445]

I keep editing my message, sorry.

[@VioletEmerald]

I've seen 3 trans and nonbinary friends of mine get top surgery and until then isn't binding an option that is healthier than trying to convince yourself your body will look less feminine if you starve yourself? I think there may be things you can do about the way your hips look too possibly with surgery, hormones probably will change the shape of your body a bit too, and also with clothing. Please reconsider the malnutrition route.

[@berf9445]

@@VioletEmerald It's not as simple as that. It's part of the disorder. I used to bind before I relapsed.

[@aliteralpipefish]

I think the representation in Heartstopper is great, but in future I would love to see it break an unfortunate trend in media representation; glossing over the less common things. Whenever there's an eating disorder storyline, it's either anorexia or bulimia. Whenever there's an asexual character, there's just one single asexual character. It's great to see representation for any of those things at all, but it would be even better if we could see equally good representation for less well-known eating disorders like ARFID, and for multiple types of asexuality in the same show. I love Isaac's character, but it would be so good to have at least one other asexual character to show the range of experiences that different types of asexuality can involve. I think it would also be great to have a character with a lesser known eating disorder to highlight that just because someone may not have the stereotypical symptoms people generally associate with EDs, doesn't necessarilly mean they don't have one. I haven't watched ahead, so I don't know if we do get more characters introduced, like in the context of group therapy or something, but that would be cool. I think if there was more cultural awareness of less common eating disorders could make it a lot easier for people to notice if someone in their life is showing symptoms. I also think showing more of the variety that can exist within a single group, whether it's people with a certain type of medical condition, certain sexualities or gender identities, or any minority group, can be so great for fighting stereotypes. You don't want someone having inaccurate preconceptions about someone they've just met because they assume that person must be just like a very rigid, singular type of representation they've seen in media. The full spectrum rarely gets equal recognition, and while it sucks to not be understood because you have no representation, it kinda sucks even more to not be understood by people who think they understand you because of incomplete representation.

[@isjitaradalhard7472]

I am not sure to what degree it will explicitly be shown in the tv-series, but Tori is asexual and arospec.

[@aliteralpipefish]

@@isjitaradalhard7472 Would be great if the show goes into that, but still sounds pretty similar to Isaac though. I'd love to see some exploration of being asexual and bi/panromantic, especially with the dynamic of an ace person in a relationship with a non-ace person. People can be really reluctant to accept the validity of asexuality in situations like that, plus I think there's probably a lot more confusion and denial involved in figuring out if you're ace when you know you're definitely not aro.

[@alittlegreyrobin]

​@@aliteralpipefish (comic, s4 spoilers) from what i've heard, the series' creator is planning to explore Tori's experience and relationship with Michael in s4 (if they get to make it). Tori is ace and arospec i think yes, and forms a long-term relationship with Michael in the comics. Michael is pansexual in the comics too. am looking forward to that storyline :) i agree, i think it would be really good for less common eating disorders to be more represented in media. i'm glad Heartstopper has a less commonly known experience of anorexia, with OCD, but yeah will have to see if they will include other representations too